Creatine as An Alternative of Anabolic Steroids for Bodybuilding

Quite probably, creatine is literally the most important natural performance-enhancing supplement yet to be discovered for strength trainers.

Contrary to a lot of supplements, creatine has been extensively researched. Interesting experiments prove creatine generates substantial enhancement in sports that necessitate high levels of strength and power, including strength training, rowing, and cycling sprints.

Another big plus for creatine: Several creatine supplementation studies have shown gains in strength and power, and body mass gains averaging two to four pounds or more in one week. Several of this primary weight gain is water that accumulates inside the muscle cells joined with the added creatine. Yet an increase in cell water is the initial step in the anabolic process of muscle-building. This, combined with greater strength and power, and higher intensity workout sessions, leads to extra muscle.

Not a Gimmick

Creatine received the following endorsement from a review article in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition, a highly regarded publication in sports nutrition. “Creatine should not be considered as another gimmick supplement; its ingestion is a means of offering immediate, significant performance improvements to athletes engaged in explosive sports.”

Sound good?

You bet. Who wouldn’t prefer a bona fide natural supplement like creatine over synthetic, dangerous compounds like steroids?

How It Works

Creatine is a substance produced in the liver and kidneys – at a rate of about two grams a day – from arginine, glycine, and methionine, three nonessential amino acids. About 95 percent of the body’s creatine passes by the blood to be stored in the muscles, heart, and many other body cells. Inside muscle cells, creatine is converted into a compound called creatine phosphate (CP). CP provides a tiny energy supply, good enough for several seconds of action. CP thus works best over the short-haul, in activities like strength exercise that necessitate short, fast bursts of activity. CP also restores your cellular reserves of ATP, the molecular fuel which provides the power for muscular contractions. With more ATP around, your muscle mass can possibly do even more work.

You load creatine into your muscles, similar to endurance athletes do with carbs. Consequently, you are able to push harder and longer in your exercises due to the fact that creatine boosts the pace of energy production in your muscle cells. Creatine supplementation does not build muscle directly. However, it does have a secondary effect. You can work out more intensely, and this translates into muscle gains.

How Much?

Creatine supplements accurately swell the ranks of creatine in your muscles. This gives a boost to the working muscles’ fuel resource, glycogen from carbohydrates. The question is actually, how much creatine do you need? You do get creatine from food roughly one gram a day. However, that is insufficient to enhance strength-training performance.

You need more.

Creatine commonly comes in a powdered form as creatine monohydrate. Scientific research reveals that taking 20-25 grams of creatine monohydrate in four or five, five-gram doses (five grams is about a teaspoon) will certainly do the trick. After that, two grams a day about half a teaspoon would maintain your muscles saturated with adequate extra creatine.

The logic that if a small dose is good, a large dose is better, isn’t really a good idea. The body has a ceiling on the amount of creatine that it will store in the muscles. Assuming that you keep taking more, creatine will not remain to load into the muscles. The only known side effect associated with creatine intakes of one to ten grams per day is water weight gain. One report recommends that some people might experience muscle cramping, and potentially muscle tearing when supplementing with creatine.

Nevertheless, these claims are without studies and are unsupportable. While loading with creatine, ensure to drink extra water. This may control the cramping. And you’re asking for trouble whenever you belt down daily dosages of 40 grams or more. Such high doses may lead to possible liver and kidney issue, according to some reports. Consult your physician before supplementing with creatine.

Supercharge: Creatine with Carbs

Here is an important, newly uncovered fact about creatine supplementation. Creatine works best in combination with a liquid carbohydrate supplement. In fact, this combination boosts the amount of creatine accumulated in muscles by as much as 60 percent. That is the primary finding of a current study.

Investigators separated 24 men (average age was 24) into speculative and control groups. The control group took a total of 20 grams of creatine monohydrate a day (five grams of creatine in sugar-free orange juice four times a day) for five days. The experimental group took the same four doses of creatine monohydrate followed 30 minutes later by 17 ounces of a remedy consisting of carbs. Muscle biopsies consumed following the five-day test period suggested that both groups had raised creatine levels but with one dramatic difference. Creatine levels in the experimental group were 60 percent higher than in the control group. The investigators also found higher concentrations of the hormone insulin in the muscles of the experimental group.